W. Chester officials part of Obama fiscal cliff' call

By
Jeremy Gerrard, Daily Local News

Thursday, December 13, 2012

As Congress and residents across the country raise concern about the so-called “fiscal cliff,” West Chester Mayor Carolyn Comitta joined roughly 100 other leaders in the United States Wednesday for a conference call with President Barack Obama.

Comitta said she has been a part of a handful of the calls organized by the local government liaison at the White House, most recently in January. Earlier she was part of a conversation with First Lady Michelle Obama on her Lets Move! campaign.

According to Comitta, the goals of the conference call were for the president to listen to concerns, to clarify his position on addressing the financial crisis with a balanced approach, and to get constituents to speak to their representatives and senators in support of that approach.

Comitta and West Chester Councilwoman Cassandra Jones were joined on the 25-minute call by other mayors, county officials and community leaders from across the country. The president fielded questions and comments from a select group while on the call.

“The calls are actually very chatty, but also very substantive and very well organized,” Comitta said.

Comitta added that those who spoke supported a balanced approach to addressing the fiscal cliff.

Before he spoke, Comitta said Obama made it clear that, if no action is taken, $1.2 trillion in government spending will be cut over the next 10 years. That would affect local communities, particularly those with a high percentage of national defense employees who would face layoffs with the reduced government funding.

“He said, should this happen, this is a big hit when we are recovering from the Great Recession, (and) Obama wants to avoid this.”

Comitta said under Obama’s plan taxes would be raised on those making more than $250,000 a year. The rates for wealthy citizens would be returned to what they were during the Bill Clinton administration in the 1990s, according to Comitta.

“So taxes will not go up for 98 percent of individuals and most small businesses on Obama’s plan,” she said.

There are less than three weeks before the government could careen off this “fiscal cliff,” but the chief GOP negotiator, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Wednesday that “serious differences” remain between him and Obama after an exchange of offers and a pair of conversations this week.

Boehner spoke after a closed-door meeting with fellow GOP lawmakers in which he advised them not to make plans for the week after Christmas.

Neither side has given much ground, and his exchange of proposals with Obama seemed to generate hard feelings more than progress. The White House has slightly reduced its demands on taxes — from $1.6 trillion over a decade to $1.4 trillion — but isn’t yielding on his demands that rates rise for wealthier earners, AP reported.

Boehner responded with an offer very much like one he gave the White House more than a week ago that offered $800 billion in new revenue, half of Obama’s demand. Boehner is also pressing for an increase in the Medicare eligibility age and a stingier cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients.

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said the two men did not have any follow-up talks Wednesday.

On Wednesday’s phone call, Obama said there needs to be a clear financial plan for the next decade so people can prepare for the future and know what to expect for themselves financially.

“I thought that was really important for people to know,” Comitta said, adding Obama said his plan would not hurt kids or seniors.

If unchanged and the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire, Obama said the average middle class household is looking at an additional $2,000 a year in taxes.

“The point is it needs to be something balanced that works the best,” Comitta said, “In my opinion, from everything I have heard from the president, this is a balanced approach that is sound economically, sound financially and will not hurt the most vulnerable, and I think that is important.”